Becoming a Monster

Chapter 366: Chapter 366: I Will Not Hide...Again

All of Noah’s creatures watched as he emerged from their home. He left Pandora without any further words. He wanted her decision to be her own, believing that would show the most growth.

As he approached his creatures, becoming the center of their gaze, he could already sense their intense desires for his blood. It’s been a while since he had indulged them. If he could, he wouldn’t mind reciprocating all that they have done. But now was not the time because there were still enemies.

He was about to inform them what he found, acting oblivious to their greedy stares. But then his body shifted, and his aura surged for battle as he felt danger targeting him.

His body quickly covered itself in his usual abyssal armor before he turned to the direction of the danger.

When he saw the source, his body flinched. The danger was coming from the drake... But why? Noah thought they had reconciled their differences. He never believed that monsters had the capacity for schemes and betrayals the same way humans did.

From the drake’s point of view, it wasn’t aware of its killing intent radiating towards Noah. Its body was craving to devour Noah all on its own.

But the moment its bloodlust was reciprocated by Noah’s own, its body shook, its eyes flickering as if it was just now recollecting what it was doing. It immediately retracted its gaze. Its head guiltily turned away. If it wasn’t because of its injury it would’ve already taken shelter deep within its den from its embarrassment.

The drake wasn’t confused by its reaction to the smell. Maybe at first, but its confusion only stemmed from why Noah’s body would possess the means to cause the drake’s instincts to seep evolution by consuming him.

The drake was fully aware that it had reached its limits. No matter what it did, it would never become stronger than what it was now. It wasn’t because it lacked the resources to enhance its strength, nor did it lack the knowledge. Its limit was decided upon birth, and it had reached that limit long ago.

So when it sensed Noah’s blood, its dragon ancestral lineage craved to ascend, overwhelming all of its other senses.

It was embarrassed because its will was so weak. For all of the pride it showed, for the power it wielded and extravagantly displayed, for pridefully living as the "ruler" of the forest. It was still just an ant to those who were truly strong. And deep down, it resented its weakness.

There was a reason why it was the only drake in this forest. Why it resorted to being a ruler of creatures that were beneath it. And its body understood that reason more than it did.

Deep down, it yearned for power and to ascend closer to its gods. Its back itched just envying the wyverns who were lucky to be born with wings. Its claws tore into the ground as it pictured the only drakes who were born with a more powerful lineage, ostracizing it for its impure bloodline.

Shamefully, its gaze glanced towards Noah again. It was guilty, and yet it wouldn’t get itself to apologize for what it had done. However, its hostility was completely diminished while its posture lowered, emitting its guilt.

Noah wasn’t sure what was going on with the drake. It was one of the many reasons he loathed dealing with any creature or person that wasn’t connected to him. But sensing that it no longer was hostile towards him, he shoved the transaction away... for now.

Instead, he turned to his creatures. Too much time has already passed; he could already feel the tremors. The trolls were closing in.

His eyes swept over his creatures. Their forms were tense and alert to the tremors as well. Despite knowing if the tremors were from another enemy, or another creature whose strength rivaled the drakes, they were ready for a fight.

A little too eager.

They weren’t afraid; in fact, they craved the idea of having another chance to redeem themselves.

It was then that Noah clarified that the creatures approaching were most likely enemies. Although their fight with the drake turned out to be a misunderstanding. The trolls’ arrival couldn’t be considered as such. They were approaching knowing that the drake was here, and it just coincidentally happened to be right after their skirmish.

He didn’t leave anything out, even mentioning to Ailetta about the goblins he had noticed previously.

This surprised Ailetta, not the inconsistencies between their world’s view of goblins and trolls, but the fact that Noah was able to sense them.

"That can’t be right... From what I can tell, the world has nearly doubled in size. Even this forest is larger than what we had known. The time my babies searched the forest, they weren’t able to reach the perimeter where Pandora’s barrier was..."

Noah’s eyes showed his understanding, realizing that he overlooked such an important fact.

The core’s boundaries had more than likely expanded just like the rest of the forest.

He realized that there was still so much he didn’t understand, and that ignorance could potentially endanger them all.

He had to start gathering information, and right now there was someone who could provide that information. But right now they still needed to confront the trolls.

His gaze shifted one each of his creatures once more. This time he was deciding who to merge with. He couldn’t merge with Fenrir again. Just like before with Arachne, Fenrir’s soul would need time to recover.

And he still remembered the last time he first attempted to consecutively merge with Fenrir. Fenrir’s agonizing cry still disturbed Noah’s heart till this day. He wouldn’t put any of his family through that torment again.

Because of that, he wasn’t going to choose Fenrir again. If he could help it, he would rather Fenrir sit the battle out altogether.

Who knew what toll pushing a healing soul too far could take?

Noah’s eyes hardened as he looked towards Fenrir. The loyal beast’s eyes met his, burning with a hunger to fight by his side.

He didn’t believe that he could allow Fenrir to sit out the battle. Noah thought about asking him if he felt capable of fighting, yet he knew better than to trust words alone. Fenrir’s pride was a fortress. Even if he was missing a leg and an arm, the beast would say that he could fight without any issues.

He considered Ailetta, but quickly dismissed the idea. She was one of the few who could fight on her own without worry. Yet if he merged with her, their combined power would almost certainly guarantee an easy victory.

If it weren’t for the fact that merging with her would mean losing that option for quite some time, he wouldn’t hesitate.

Still, he needed to keep a contingency, just in case the drake had been bluffing, or if a creature equally strong, or stronger, showed up.

That only left Arachne. When his gaze settled on Arachne, the spider instantly knew what he wanted. Although she wanted to shine on the battlefield on her own, she wouldn’t hesitate to join with Noah. It was a privilege that his creatures would never take for granted.

Noah took a step toward her.

And stopped.

Pandora’s illusion instantly materialized directly in front of him, standing directly in Arachne’s path.

"This time... merge with me."

For a heartbeat, he simply stared at her. It caught him off guard. Pandora had never asked him for anything before. And after what happened with the drake, he didn’t think that she would turn around so soon.

He took more time to weigh the request. Not because he deemed her weak. Merging with Pandora would give him an immense boost in defensive and area control abilities, but it would root him to a single point, forcing him to meet the trolls on their terms instead of dictating the battlefield himself. What’s more, he still couldn’t find it in himself to trust the drake completely.

What if the drake tried to take advantage while their attention was elsewhere?

Yet he couldn’t use that as an excuse. Because at the same time the drake could attack them while they fought. It could also attack their home while they were away. This would not only put Pandora at risk, but the dungeon core as well.

"I... will not hide again." She insisted again when he didn’t respond. This time there was something in her tone. Beneath the monotone strain, there was an insistence that he had never sensed before.

Noah’s gaze softened, the pounding tremors outside momentarily fading from his mind. He gave Pandora a single, wordless nod before he turned to the others.

"We will hold our ground here. Le, there’s no telling how strong those trolls are either. It’s better if you use that."

There was no reason to go into further detail. Ailetta was fully aware that he was talking about her transformation, something that she had been dying to fully experiment with. Her lips curved in a predatory smile, a glint of eagerness flashing in her many eyes.

He then turned to the most unreliable one there. His stare lingered on Dummy longer than normal, wondering if he should give the creature a part of his genes to exchange the genetics it obtained from the hybrid insects. He considered it only for a moment before deciding against it. At least until after the battle.

Noah didn’t doubt his genes were superior. But it wasn’t so simple. Dummy’s power wasn’t solely in its body, it came from fully devouring the core of the hybrid. No portion of his blood or his slime, however potent, could compare to the seamless fusion of creature and core that gave Dummy its monstrous strength. And they were going to need that ability at its fullest.

Even if it meant gambling with the shadow of the Queen’s influence lurking in Dummy’s soul.

Without another glance toward the direction the trolls were coming from, he turned and made his way back into the earthen structure they called home.

Arachne wordlessly watched him leave. Without saying it, she knew that she lost her chance. Her eyes looked dangerous. She felt as if Noah had been stolen from her. He had chosen her.

At the same time, her jealousy spiked, she sensed someone watching her. Her eyes linked with Ailetta’s. A knowing smile played on her lips, as if reminding her something that she should already be aware of.

It was that Arachne’s looming aura receded. Her breathing slowed as she mentally adjusted herself.

"A Queen shouldn’t be jealous of those she’s supposed to protect." She reminded herself. If she wanted Noah’s eyes to linger on her, for him to accept her feelings, it wouldn’t be through petty rivalry. It would be by standing unshaken at his side the same way even when the others bask in his attention. Only then would he see her as someone that could truly be his Queen.

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Noah was oblivious to Arachne’s mental growth as he now stood in front of Pandora’s true form. His hand rested on her trunk as the two began to glow.

Unlike the times he had merged with his other companions, where their forms would dissolve and sink into his body, this union began with no separation.